Water heating system for bottle washing machines



G. c. EVANS 2,048,602

WATER HEATING SYSTEM FOR BOTTLE WASHING MACHINES 'July 21; 1936.

' Filed Aug. 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 21, 1936. c EVANS 2,048,602

WATER HEATING SYSTEM FOR BOTTLE WASHING MACHINES Filed Aug. -29, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 21, 1936 RAJTENT OFFICE WATERP. HEATING SYSTEM FOR BOTTLE WASHING MACHINES Y Grover C. Evans, Little Rock, Ark.

Application August 29, 1935,.Serial No. 38,447

6 Claims.-

a lower elevation than the tanks or soakers, either by placing the water heaters in a room below the tanks orby constructing pits in which the heaters are placed, or by placing burners directly beneath the soakers or water tanks. In the first method, the circulation of the water throughthe tanks depends on convection and it is, therefore,

always necessary to have the heaters below the tanks so that the cooler water will return by gravity thereto;. Thistype of heating installation is expensive and the use of burners'directly beneath the water tanks or soakers is unsatisfactory because of the difliculty of regulating the temperaturesfor several soakers.

Ject to overcome the undesirable features associ-' ated with the methods above described by the. provision of mechanism which may be placed below, at the same elevation -.as--or 'above' the soakers with the production of satisfactory results in that water or other fluid-used in the soakers or:

other tanks being supplied. may be continuously circulated and may be maintained automatically at an even temperature.

, Another object of the invention is: toprovide in a water heatingsystem anovel-means of supplying a series of tanks or'other. receptacles with: heated fluid and maintaining different tempera tures in the several tanks.

Still another-object of the inventionisto provide in a water heating system a novel means of maintaininga heating coil filled'with the fluid of 1 the system while the system isidle,;when the heaters and the liquidreceiving tanks are placed 5 at substantially the same elevation; I

A further object of. the; invention'is: to provide in a water heating system a novel arrangement and combination ofunits offstandard'design' by which the foregoing describedidesired results are obtained.

The invention willbe best understood'from a consideration .of the' following. detailed descrip-- tion taken in connection'with' the accompanying drawings forming partaof this specification, vwith the understanding, however; .that.' the..invention" The present invention has for its primary obis notconfined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long'as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed inthe.ap- 5- pended claims. 7

In the drawings: 7 I

Figure 1- represents a diagrammatic lay-out of the apparatusembodying the present invention, viewing the same in top plan; V V

Figure 2 represents diagrammatically an end elevational View of the apparatus showing a cen tral-one of the tanks in section; I

Figure 3- is a diagram of the electric circuit in which'the aquastats and electrically operated gas valve are connected.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals of. reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numerals I to. 4 inclusive indicate fluid receptacles which arev illustrated in the form of tanks and which may-- represent soakersofthe type used in beverage bottling plants The numeral 5' indicates gener-' ally a battery of gas fired heaters of the type commonly employing a water circulating coil,(not. shown), each of the heaters being indicated" by the numeral 6. These heaters are shownmounted upon a supporting stand 1 whereby the lower ends ofthecoilsthereof and the-burners 8 are disposed at an elevation above the bottoms-of the tanks.

' Extending along the lower part of the battery of heaters is amanifold 9 and above-the heaters and extending longitudinally of thebattery is a second or upper manifold [0. The lower manifold-Blisconnected bylead-off pipes II with the lower: ends of the coils of the adjacent heaters while the upper manifold is connected with the upper ends of the heater coils. by the lead-off pipes l2.

Gas fuel is supplied totheburners of the heaters from the main l3 to the distributingpipe M. from which its passage to theseveral'burners is controlled by manual valves l5. A suitable shutoff valve I6 is located in themain and the: gas fuel after passing through this valve passes through a pressure regulator I1 and'through a:. suitable'standard type-of electrically controlled gas valve which is conventionally illustrated and: indicated by the numeral l8. This valve 3 may be of any standard make such, for example, as the type F motor gas valve of the Minneapolis Honeywell Regulator Company. Thermostatic means electrically connected with'this gas valve effects the. openingv and. closing. of the sameiin i the manner hereinafter more particularly described, in accordance with the needs of the tanks, tolight up or shut off the burners 'of the heaters.

The pipe line Supplying. pilot lights in the heaters through the several. short lead-off pipes connected therewith.

. line 22 between the manifold I0 and'the distrib- I At the centralpart of the top manifold I0, a T- coupling 2| is connected which couples a pipe uting pipe 23 for the tanks I to 4 inclusive. This distributing pipe 23 has a valved connection 24 with the tank 2'so that fluid may be discharged directly into the tank 2 from the pipe 23 "and the r tanksil and 3 contain coils 25 and 26, respectively,

'which are coupled with the distributing pipe '23,

a respectively, through the medium of the valves 21 and 28. .The tank 4 also. contains a coil which is indicated by the numeral 29 and which is connected with the pipe 23- to receive liquid therefrom -through the control'valve 29'. Thisvalve and the valves 2! and '28'normallyremain partially closed to contr'olthe' amount of liquid flowa ing through'the coils. I'hetemperature of the liquid in the tanks l, 3 and 4 i'skept belowthat "in thevtank 2;'therefore, by regulating the valves 21, 28 and 29, the liquid flow through the coils ean-,becut down soas to keep the liquid in the through the tank 24 and the coils 25, 2s and 29 V 1 tanks at the desired temperature. v

' 'A receiving manifold for theliquid passing is indicated by the numeral 30 into which each of .the coils discharges, as shown; and whichhas' a I discharge pipe leading therefrom, as indicated at;

1-3I,into'the tank 2.

'- An outlet pipe 32 having a control valve 33 leads {fromfthe tank 2;throu gh a strainer 34 and a Extending'across and forming a shunt between- I Y the upper end of-the pipe 40 and the pipe line 22, 50

- .fully described; Since the upper'end of the pipe '33 is directed inwardly toward and is in the 'same'planeas the connection by which the pipe 22-is coupled with the manifold I0, the preferred second valve 35 in to-a pump 35 of the centrifugal type preferably, which'is propelled by'an electric motor 31.

top of theheater unit or battery whe're'it is joined by a-coupling' 39 when avertic'al downwardly extending pipe which at its'lower end is coupled withand leads into the bottom manifold 9.

is a small diameter" pipe and connected with this pipe is an inwardly openingcheck valve 42,

the purpose for which will be hereinafter more practice would be to join thesetogether so as to form a rigid structure, in which'case the joining pipe would be plugged off,- as indicated at 43 in .Figure 2 However, in the present illustration,

these parts are shown free of connection one with the other so. that the relation of the pipes stat variety, the-preferred: type of instrument being that known as an immersion aquastat of may 'be'more clearly set forth. I r a The numerals 44 and'45 each indicate an elec-' tric circuit controlling instrument' of the thermothe variety produced by the Minneapolis Honey- "and as illustrated, the thermostat 44 is inserted wellfRegulat'or Company, although any type of thermostat suitable forthe purposemay be employed. The thermostat '44 is settooperate at a higher temperature than the thermostat 45,

in' the pipe line coupling the outlet manifold ID with the. tankswhereas the thermostat '45 Which l9 constitutes a manifold for The outlet side of thevpump 36"hasone end of a pipe 38 connected therewith and; this pipe extends upwardlyfrom the pump to theoperates at a lower temperature extends into the tank 2 so as to be actuated by the temperature of the water or other liquid therein.

In the operation of the present apparatus, the

heat responsive device or aquas'tats 44 and are electrically connected with the electricgas valve l8 and the motor 31, as illustrate'din the circuit diagram constituting Figure 3 of the drawings and the aquastat45 normally controls the opera.-

tion of the motor and pump. unit and the gas valve Hi. When the pump 36 is operating, the

'water'or solution will be withdrawn from the tank 2 through the screen 34 whereany 'undesired particles will be strained out and is then passed upwardly through the pipe 38 and back down to thepipe 40 to the intake manifold}.

'The solution then passes through the heaters and is discharged into the upper manifold II) to flow past the aquastat Ito and through the pipe 22 to the distributing pipe 23. Part of the solution then passes directly into the tank, 2..

permitted to pass'through the coilsto hold the "water or solution in the tanks in whichjthese All of'the water or solution from thecoils is returned byway of'the pipe 3|" to the tank 2 and as the coils are located at a desired temperature.

temperature of the water or'solution reaches the desired maximum, the aquastat 45 operates to shut off the current supply to the. circulator or pump 36 and to close the valve 18. When-the temperatureof the solution in'the-several'tanks J or soakers drops below'the minimum-desired, this aquastat willoperate to close the electric circuit in which it is locatedso as to start the circulator orpump and open'the gas valve. 7 f i r The heat responsive element orv equastat 44 By throttling orclosing down-the valve's .21,' 28" and 29; enough of the hot solution or water is is set for highlimit control, that'is, it is set to operate at 10, 'l5-or 20 higher than theaqua- Should the solution fail to reach 'th e heatersin sufiicient quantities while the gas valve is open so that the burners are ignited and while the pump is 'opstat 45 in the soaker or tank .2.

crating, as'in the case of an obstructionin the strainer or circulating lines, or in the. eventof .failure of the pump to'o'peratethis element 44 responds to the increased degree of'temperature current supply tojthe gas valve l8 and also to the motor 31. fl'his'elementlflcperates merely as asafety device whereas the element 45 op-' erates continuously for maintaining the temperature of the solution or the water in the tanks or soakers at'the 'proper degree of heat.

Referring particularly to the circuit diagram which would naturally result'and shuts oil the j.

illustratedinFigureQ; it'will be seen that each' of the aquastatsfhas six terminals, the aquastat? 45 having its terminals indicated by the numerstat 44 has its terminals indicated by'thenumer- The primed als 49, 50,5laand 493.50 and 5|. terminals of the aquastats designate the leadoff terminals while theothers are the lead-inf terminals. 'In each aquastat is a pair of con-- tact arms whichin aquastat 45 are indicated by a the numerals 52' and 53 while in aquas'tat 44'.

they are indicatedby the numerals 54 and 155, and these arms are shifted or actuatedby a-bimetallic element which extends from, theaduastat and which'is'encasedin the housing 56 in the aquastat 45 .as illustrated .in'Figure 2. :The.

came construction is used in aquastat 45 but is? not illustrated. 'The arms 52 and 53 coact with the terminals 52! and. 53." in openingand 'clos- 1 structure.

ing= thercircuiti which the thes -armss.54*=and 55 lot zaquastatlflicoactimth tm terminals 54!"and;i55.f.

The current: line indicated; genera allyrbmthefletter L jrommhichncun'entr isttahen; preferably through; aetransiormer: 51 tevtheicire cuit 58c one; side, of. whiclraise cmmled'i terminal 4110f; aquastatt liewhilea:tharotherrside is coupledwithrthevterminal 46 ofrthmsahiei-Qtfistat andhas: the :field coil 5810i tan. electricrmotcr therein; Thenumeral. 59 indicates: ically: theerotorr of, atmotori which rformssatpart 0t the electrically; operated-valve I hand :the coil 58: comprises -.the,-field -oi-, this'-:motor. Theecone tact arm 52 of aquastate iss. electricallw coupled through the terrni-nal.-. 46% anithe termina 49 of aquastat ,44,= .withlthe. contact! 5M, andthe arm. adjacent 1 this. ,1atter.. contacts and which; is indicatedlby thetnumerall-54,',is: -eleetrica1ly cone pled with the lead-cutterminalJQ! whichriin turn is electrically, connected.throughtthettereleads .to ,a.,contact point c6. I lformingla partloi mechanism of the valve. l L As illustrated, ,the

couplediwiththe contact. point 555 t of .aquastat 44with which thecarm 55fof;tliis -.instrument.is

adapted to engage, and: this Iatterl armlisueleee trically coupled, with the. centeriead out termi nal of this' aquastat The electrically actuated. controtvalve struc: ture I8includes-.a gear 62.. which is in geared connection withzthe rotonor armature; 59'of 'the electric motor which'iorms a part ofi'this. valve This gear 62is connected with a shaft, 63onthe endof "which is a;cam'64iw1iich islfflce tionally coupled-therewith; and which is limited irrits -osc illatory'motion by thepin engaglng in the recess inthe-periphery-thereof. The contact arm 661's shifted-uponthfe movement'of.ithe cam-64 into-electrical*engagementwltlr'thepoint 6| and this arm is electrically'coupied by the wire-61 with" themotor-iield coil 58.

The gear 62 carries a pin 68 adapted to engage the hooked end 69 of a link 10 and this link is pivotally attached to an arm 1| which when moved in one direction against the tension of a spring 12 opens the valve controlling the flow of gas through the line l3. The raising of the arm 1| oscillates a mercury switch 13 which closes a circuit in which the electric motor 31 is located so that upon the opening of the valve mechanism, the electric motor 31 will start functioning.

In the operation of the apparatus, when the liquid in the tank 2 drops below the temperaturerequired, the arms 52 and 53 will be moved into contact with the points 52 and 53' and the same action will occur in the aquastat 44 so that electric current will pass through the circuit 58 by way of the terminals 41, 41', 50, 50', 49, 48, 46' and 46, flowing through the field coil 58 of the electric gas valve motor. This starts the motor operating and causes the pin 68 to engage the hook 69 to open the valve in the line l3. When the pin 68 engages the hook 69 and the valve is opened fully, the motor will be stalled but cur'rent will continue to flow through the field coil of the motor because of the movement of the arm 66 against the point 6| by the cam 64 which was partly turned with the gear 62. The arms 52-53 and 54-55 of the two aquastats are so adjusted that as the temperature in the apparatus rises, the shorter ones of the arms will separate from their points 52' and 54 in adflncemfithe longer arrms. By this means;:the motor 31 will' be kept in T operation-:and the. gas line M will bevk'ept open throughzthe continued energization' of the coil- 56 after the: heat I re.- spomsive devices: have: begun to: operate; After the temperature-An the-tank z shasv becrrraised to the proper point, the aquastat'. 45:.will open fully and: the; current: supply cut 7 off: to; the coil 56; whereupon. the; reaction of: the; spring 52 in closings the gaslzvalve ewill effect aislight 1 reverse rotation?: of: the?! gas: valvemotor: which will revessels: rotatetsthezcanr. 64 and movethearm. 66 amwfromztherpoint :61

Witlxzthezarrangement of the pipe 38 .as: shown, theszwaterrorrsolution is carried to the top of the heatersz-sezthatthevdanger; oft-the heaters. being ignitedzwhile the coilssthereof. are only partially filled;with.waterror..-sclution; is eliminated; This conditionimightmccurif the :heaters are located atrawhighelevation with respect=to1 the-tanks-so that-thc--naturalleveling of the water invthe :sys tem=would result in the-lowering oflthe water levehin the heater' coils;

Thecheckvalve I2.- in the pipe line connecting themeturn: and'discharge. pipes forthe ,heaters operates to break asyphonwhieh mayioccur and drain: the coils-to the level ofthe water in the soakers-or tanks particularly; it the tanks are placed at a lower level with respect to the heaters, thuseleavingthe-coils:empty or partlyempty of wateror-solution whetr the. system is not in operation. In:..the. present illustration, the, heaters have-been, shownat such an, elevation with"; respeot to the soakersor tanks :that the coils-0t the heatersemiglitbe partially-drained by the syphom ln g; action describedror by thewater finding its. natural level-if: the riser pipe 38-and check valve were: nottprovided. Itzlwill be readilyapparent that theghiger the. heaters are placed :with respect to thetanks the greater the water-level drop, would'be in the heaters it the check-waive and arrangementtof pipe 38 -asshown were not-envployed. If the water level of the tanks or soakers is higher than the tops of the heaters then the syphon breaking check valve need not be employed as the stand of water in the heater coils would always be at the top of the same.

What is claimed is:

1. In a water heating system, a plurality of heated water receiving units, a heater unit, pipe means for conducting heated water from the heater unit to each of the receiver units, means for returning water from certain of the receiver units into one receiver unit, means for returning water from the said one receiving unit to the heater unit, an electrically operated circulator in said water return means, an electrically operated element controling the operation of the heater unit, and an electric circuit controlling heat responsive device disposed in said one water receiving unit and connected with said circulator operating means and heater unit controlling means to control the operation of the same in response to temperature variations in the said one receiver unit.

2. In a water heating system including a water heater and a water receiving receptacle disposed on the same elevation, a pipe line leading from the upper part of said water heater to said receptacle, a return flow pipe leading from the receptacle, a water circulator having said return flow pipe leading thereto, a vertically disposed pipe connected at its lower end to the lower part of said heater, the upper end of said vertically disposed pipe :being above the upper part of the heater;

; apipe connecting the circulator .with, the upper end of said vertically disposedwpipe, andmeans 'the, circulator is idle.{:- 7 3. A water iheating 'system, comprisinga plu permitting. the introduction of air into the. upper xend oi? the vertically disposed pipe :and the first mentioned pipe to prevent a syphon efiect when may of receptacles, a hot- :water; coil disposed sai'd one reeeptac1e','a' returnwa'ter collectin'g'pipe connected'with each of said coils to receiveiwater therefrom antihaving a discharge pipe opening in'all but one ofsaid receptacles; a water dis! 'tributing-pipe connected with-each of said coils V and with the said oneof said receptacles for the discharge of water into each; 0'! the-coils and the 1 into the said'one oi the receptacles; a heater unit,

' areturn flow pipe line leading from the said one of the 'receptacles-to the heater unit; awater circulatorin the return flow jline, ahot'water line leading from the hate'r unit to said distributing pipe, electric 'means operating said circulatorj and an electric circuit controlling heatrespon- -'sive"elenient-in the said one ofthe receptacles ceptacle "in 'rvhich is electrically connected with the 'ciroula'i tor operating meansw start or stop the "saniih accordance-with the water temperature in the rewhich the heat responsive element-{is located '5' 4. In a system ofthe pharacter set forth, aliq uid receptacle, a" liquid heater] electricallylop erated means controlling-the operation oi" said fheater," a liquid pipeline leading from thereceptacle to said heater,- a liquid pipe line leading from-the he'ater 'to the receptacle,"electricallyoperated' circulating-means in one-of said 'pipe' lines, an-electric circuit"-controlli 'ig;v thermostat connected 'with the receptacleand controlling the flow of electric current-to said electrically op-.

, erated heater controlling means and circulatin'g means whereby both of said means will be. placed in operation at" a; desired low temperature" thereceptacleandputout oi operation at a de-fi siredllhigh .tem'perature,- anda seco'nd electric circuit controlling thermostat inseries with said firstxthe'rmostat and located in one of said pipe lines: to effect the cutting out or operation of both o! said ineans at a predetermined high tempe'raturein the'line in theevent of failure of the heated'liquid to reachthereceptacle. a V g :5.; I'n: a system of he' cha-racter describedya pair *orliquid (Maintainers, a liquid heater, a pipe line leading ffrom sa-id heater to' said containers andldischarging directly into. onefoffthe same, a pipe connected ati one end with f'said line and passing through the fothe'r container and 'dischargin'gat its othef end into thesaid 7 one con- 7 tamer pipe leading j from the said one container'back to'said heater,- s; circulator infone of said lines, anelectricmotorfoperating said circu lator, and a' heat responsive electric circuit controlling devicefinfthje'"said one container and e ntr l n he 0P a m -1 In a i's'y'sten iof the character described a plurality fof containersfone constituting amaster container, aliquidiheating means, a; liquid supply manifold 'adjafcentfsaid containers, a liquid'receiv'ing "manifold,. apipe leading from said heating .means to the supply manifold, a coil in reach or thejcont'ainers excepting the fn' aster and have ing an end connectedfwith'the supply manifold,

pipe means connectingit e Si1DDlY manifold with A the mastercontainer for discharge directlytheremaster, container, pipe leading back from the master] container to "the heating means, electri actuatediciroulating, ignans in one of said pipes, "and an electric" circuit controlling heat responsive device in said rnaster container -con-. trolling. the' operation of said circulating means 1 and of-saidheatingmeans; V r

' -GROVER'C.;EVANS., i

' into, 'each ofsaid'coils having-its other endconnected with thereceiving' manifold,'said receivinglmanifold having a discharge outlet into the 3 

